The 14 chapters in this book relate to the main events that led to the rise and fall of the Mongol Empire, from its unification in 1206 by Genghis Khan to its sudden retreat from Europe following the death of Odgedei Khan in 1241, to the permanent division of its empire in 1294 under Kublai Khan. Few realize that the Mongol Empire was the second largest ever (next to the British Empire). It stands alone as the largest continuous empire in history and covered almost a quarter of the earth's total land mass, reaching from the eastern coast of what is now Russia to Central Europe. The Mongols controlled more than 100 million people. Their warrior culture was one of the most influential in history. A Russian film maker has released the first of a trilogy of movies called The Mongol that got good reviews and was nominated for an Academy Award. Limited, arthouse release for the movie, but there should still be some interest and thought generated by it.